The present disclosure relates to wellbore operations and, more particularly, to using non-explosive, dynamic underbalancing techniques to increase fluid flow within a wellbore.
After drilling various sections of a subterranean wellbore that traverses a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, a well operator may undertake perforation operations to increase productivity in one or more sections of the wellbore. The increased productivity resulting from perforation operations may slow over time due to the perforation channels gradually becoming obstructed through the buildup of sand, wax, scale, and other common wellbore debris.
There are currently many ways to treat a well to counteract the buildup of wax or scale in wellbore perforation channels. In some cases, for instance, a well may be acidized or additional hydraulic fracturing may be undertaken. In other cases, the production zones may be re-perforated using additional downhole wellbore explosives. The resulting explosions generated by the downhole explosives create a dynamic underbalance in the wellbore at the corresponding production zones, which results in a dynamic underbalance and pressure differential generated between the wellbore and the surrounding formation. Thus, upon detonating downhole explosives adjacent the production zone, rapid decompression occurs and wax, scale and/or debris within the perforation channels are drawn into the wellbore and can then be circulated to the surface for removal. This process, however, is inherently dangerous due to the need to use and store downhole explosives around a rig site.